Watch out - I have super-powers. That line has been used a few times. It's taken various forms: Join our church or be damned; be baptized our way or be damned; repeat our creed or be damned; pay me money or risk having to pay for your own sins. It is sad that many scriptures have been used to reinforce the idea that man or men have the power to determine the eternal destiny of other people's souls.
Following Easter, I happened again on the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples.
John 20:19-23
I read through the major commentaries to see what others have said about these verses. I saw everything from anti-papist rants to the Wesleyan view that Jesus was simply conferring upon the apostles the ability to authoritatively state that if a person didn't want to come to Christ, that such a person could pretty much assume he wasn't going to be saved.
Then I saw something else and it wasn't written in a commentary, but consider these thoughts, and comment back if you like.
Jesus always spoke to the needs that were in the hearts of his disciples and those he ministered to. Often, Jesus' words seem on first glance to be unrelated to the situations described in scripture, almost as if he had a penchant for changing the subject. But I don't think that was ever the case.
In John chapter 20, the disciples were holed up in a locked room. They were afraid. They were angry. They had just witnessed the murder of their leader and they must have been considering what their next step should be. What options may have been running through their minds and be foremost in their conversation?
- Flee to the hills of Judea?
- Recruit followers to launch a counter-attack against the corrupt priesthood?
- Storm Herod's seat of power?
- Launch a public relations campaign to expose the corruption of the Pharisees and Sadducees? I just don't think that at this point, they were making plans for the spiritual growth of the Christian community.
Into this confused meeting Jesus makes his presence known. And he responds to their largest emotions and answers the questions foremost in their minds.
They are fearful - "Peace be to you", he says. Peace. Relax, I'm with you. You don't need to listen at the door for the footsteps of your enemies. The sight of their Lord fills them with a sudden and joyous excitement. He's back! Now we can make some real plans! Now we can storm the palace, now we can de-throne the corrupt priesthood! Now we can.... but Jesus interupts their excited and joyful responses. He says: "Peace. As the Father has sent me, I also send you." No, we aren't going to storm the palace. We are not going to take over the temple. I was sent by the Father, from the very presence of His Glory, to walk humbly on the earth; not to condemn the world, but to communicate the Father's love for the world and his forgiveness of sin. Now I am sending you to walk humbly through this world. You are to suffer for righteousness' sake; you are to faithfully administer the grace of God. Imagine the disciples listening to this with increasing anxiety. Going "out there" means going out there among the butchers and blasphemers that condemned their Lord to die on a cross. How can we relate to those people, they may wonder. Maybe they even put the question to Jesus verbally: What about those wicked men that incited the riotous crowd and presided over your murder? How shall we deal with them? Christ's response is in keeping with all his other teaching: "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
That is the quote that I think has been so misconstrued and misused. Literally, "their sins have been forgiven" reads: "have previously been forgiven"*. That's a reiteration of Jesus' words on the cross. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." He did forgive them. He's reminding the disciples of that fact. Did they think he wasn't serious, or was speaking irrationally when he was hanging there on the cross? Look you guys, what have I been telling you since day-1? Forgive. Forgive. Owe no man but the debt to continue loving. You can forgive, they are already forgiven, but if you hold back your forgiveness, watch out. Who wants to walk through this life retaining (in their own hearts) the sins of all those who have ever hurt them? Presented with the two options: Forgive in confidence, or retain and carry it with you, which option do you wish to choose? I don't think Jesus was conferring a special authority to forgive people's sins, or deny forgiveness for anyone. Nor was he at that moment granting a special ability to the disciples that would enable them to discern whether any person was "saved" or not.
*according to margin notes in New American Standard Reference Edition Bible
Comments?
Following Easter, I happened again on the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples.
John 20:19-23
"When therefore it was evening, on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you." And when He had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples therefore rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
I read through the major commentaries to see what others have said about these verses. I saw everything from anti-papist rants to the Wesleyan view that Jesus was simply conferring upon the apostles the ability to authoritatively state that if a person didn't want to come to Christ, that such a person could pretty much assume he wasn't going to be saved.
Then I saw something else and it wasn't written in a commentary, but consider these thoughts, and comment back if you like.
Jesus always spoke to the needs that were in the hearts of his disciples and those he ministered to. Often, Jesus' words seem on first glance to be unrelated to the situations described in scripture, almost as if he had a penchant for changing the subject. But I don't think that was ever the case.
In John chapter 20, the disciples were holed up in a locked room. They were afraid. They were angry. They had just witnessed the murder of their leader and they must have been considering what their next step should be. What options may have been running through their minds and be foremost in their conversation?
- Flee to the hills of Judea?
- Recruit followers to launch a counter-attack against the corrupt priesthood?
- Storm Herod's seat of power?
- Launch a public relations campaign to expose the corruption of the Pharisees and Sadducees? I just don't think that at this point, they were making plans for the spiritual growth of the Christian community.
Into this confused meeting Jesus makes his presence known. And he responds to their largest emotions and answers the questions foremost in their minds.
They are fearful - "Peace be to you", he says. Peace. Relax, I'm with you. You don't need to listen at the door for the footsteps of your enemies. The sight of their Lord fills them with a sudden and joyous excitement. He's back! Now we can make some real plans! Now we can storm the palace, now we can de-throne the corrupt priesthood! Now we can.... but Jesus interupts their excited and joyful responses. He says: "Peace. As the Father has sent me, I also send you." No, we aren't going to storm the palace. We are not going to take over the temple. I was sent by the Father, from the very presence of His Glory, to walk humbly on the earth; not to condemn the world, but to communicate the Father's love for the world and his forgiveness of sin. Now I am sending you to walk humbly through this world. You are to suffer for righteousness' sake; you are to faithfully administer the grace of God. Imagine the disciples listening to this with increasing anxiety. Going "out there" means going out there among the butchers and blasphemers that condemned their Lord to die on a cross. How can we relate to those people, they may wonder. Maybe they even put the question to Jesus verbally: What about those wicked men that incited the riotous crowd and presided over your murder? How shall we deal with them? Christ's response is in keeping with all his other teaching: "If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained."
That is the quote that I think has been so misconstrued and misused. Literally, "their sins have been forgiven" reads: "have previously been forgiven"*. That's a reiteration of Jesus' words on the cross. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." He did forgive them. He's reminding the disciples of that fact. Did they think he wasn't serious, or was speaking irrationally when he was hanging there on the cross? Look you guys, what have I been telling you since day-1? Forgive. Forgive. Owe no man but the debt to continue loving. You can forgive, they are already forgiven, but if you hold back your forgiveness, watch out. Who wants to walk through this life retaining (in their own hearts) the sins of all those who have ever hurt them? Presented with the two options: Forgive in confidence, or retain and carry it with you, which option do you wish to choose? I don't think Jesus was conferring a special authority to forgive people's sins, or deny forgiveness for anyone. Nor was he at that moment granting a special ability to the disciples that would enable them to discern whether any person was "saved" or not.
*according to margin notes in New American Standard Reference Edition Bible
Comments?
